1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to a sliding door device. This application claims priority from Japanese Patent Application No. 2010-032672, filed Feb. 17, 2010, the content of which is incorporated herein by reference.
2. Description of Related Art
For example, in an air conditioner for a vehicle that adjusts the air temperature in a vehicle, an air flow cooled by an evaporator is divided into an opening for a heating flow passage and an opening for ventilation. The opening for heating flow passage is an opening for passing an air flow through a heater core. In addition, the opening for ventilation is an opening for supplying the air flow ejected from the evaporator without passing through the heater core. In the air conditioner for the vehicle, the air flow is divided into the opening for heating flow passage and the opening for ventilation, whereby the temperature of the conditioned air is adjusted.
The opening for heating flow passage and the opening for ventilation are provided side by side. In the air conditioner for the vehicle, a device having, for example, a slide door is provided in order to adjust an aperture ratio of these openings.
In the sliding door device, a movement of the slide door is generally performed by a rack and pinion scheme.
Hereinafter, more detailed descriptions of a configuration and operations of the slide door will be made. In Japanese Unexamined Patent Application, First Publication No. 2009-227129, when viewed along the flowing direction of an air flow, a shaft is installed at an upstream side of the slide door. In addition, a pinion gear is fixed to the shaft. A rack gear is installed in the slide door, and engaged with the pinion gear. Due to this configuration, a rotation movement of the pinion gear is transmitted to the rack gear by rotating the pinion gear. The slide door is moved by the transmission of the rotation movement to the rack gear.
However, in a conventional sliding door device, a gap between the shaft and the slide door is formed. Due to this, a part of the air flow is dragged onto the shaft, or changes its direction with respect to the slide door, thereby passing through the gap.
When the air flow passes through the gap between the shaft and the slide door, the air flow conflicts with an air flow of a main flow passing through the opening. Due to this, a turbulent flow is generated and thus, noise occurs.